"Pretty Peggy."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7881, 25 July 1905, Page 2

"Pretty Peggy."

AN UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS. When Mr Musgrove brings a company to New Plymouth three, things are certain to happen. There will oc a good performance.; there will be a large audience; there will be but one when the fall of the curtain and tho lust strains of the orchestra give evidence that 'the end nas come. It was so. last night. The weather was wretched, but tins theatre was well fillod. The performance from lirst to last was a treat; there wore nc two opinions about it at tho end. Thu piece presented was "Pretty Peggy," the humorous, the pathetic, the tragic comedy-drama that has been so well written hjy Mr I'\ A. Matthews. The story of Peg Woflingtoiii' is not now ; most .people hnvej read it, and we need not elaborate it here. To see it presented on the stage by a cai>üblo company, and a remarkably clever star artiste, is, however a new experience io, many. In our opinion the .whole performance was a delightful tixtat, umde radiantly btcautii'ul at times by the superb acting of Miss Nellie Stewart as "'Pretty Peggy-" From the time tHat she uppeurtd ns the simple. Irish lass to the linal scene where she falls iu u death swoon upon the, stage she centred the interest of the audience, und it would be hard indeed to imjigiiiu a finer pieqe of acting. Her denunciation of Gurrick, when sho is convinced of his deceit, was sublime ; her interview witiiinjim Inter was intensely pathetic ,\ her final appearance was worked out to the finish as unly a great artiste could do. Had we tho space at command, we could say much in praise of the character of Peg Woflingiton as pourtruyed }jy Miss Nellie Stewart last, night. It. is not necessary ; Jicr reputation does not need enhancing. The other characters in the piny -were fairly well presented. We thought that Mr I lea My as David Garrick was rather stiff, bu.t i|. must be remembered that that, is one of the hardest parts that can fall to the lot of the actor.' He has not the sympathy of the audience like Peggy has: he lias no chance of displaying the wit that makes Peg so delightfully lovable : in brief, he is a 'bad lot. Hut Air fteatty failed to show the audienr,c any of tha-t passionate devotion, that torrential worship that brought Peg to 1 his feet as his slave while she thought of him only as her king. Miss Singleljin as Mrs Wofllmjton was distinctly good, and we congratulate her upon afforditig her nudieiir.c both pleasure and amusement. Mr Dunn assumed 'the character ol of Sir Charles llanhury in ; , conconscientious manner, and hvdped no other reiiiarkfcnn be applied- to \fo> ladies and gentlemen whose names appeared on the programme, for all contri'ilutcd a fa ; ir quota to a very successful representation. Tho mouutipg, of the pincp was, excellent, tho dresses were magnificent ; the music might have,been better. j